Muraqabah

Murāqabah (Arabic: مراقبة, lit.: "to observe") is an Islamic methodology of achieving a transcendent union with God via Meditation.[1] It is a tradition commonly found in the ṭarīqas (Sufi orders) of Sunni Islam and in Irfani Shi'ism. It's origins in the Sunnah are generally attributed to the asceticism that Prophet Muhammad practiced in the Cave of Hira.[2]

Etymology and meaning

The word murāqabah is derived from rā-qāf-bāʿ,[3] which means to guard and watch over with the expectation of noticing any change, unique qualities or abnormalities of a given thing.[4]

In ancient Arabic, the word murāqabah referred to one who would watch the night sky. They would scan the sky in hopes to see the first signs of early stars to begin their journey. Due to the intense heat and difficult terrain of the Arabian Peninsula, the ability to recognize the constellations and their seasonal divergences was a critical skill. In the classic poem, "the observer of the night is as vigilant as a fish in search of water".[5]

According to al-Qushayrī (d. 465 AH/1072 CE) and al-Jurjānī (d. 816 AH/1413 CE),[6] murāqabah is for one to be aware that their Lord is perpetually aware of His subordinates. Not only is the person continuously in a state of mindfulness but they are also cognizant that their Lord is aware as well, creating a reciprocal relation.[7]

Decorum and etiquette

Etiquette

One of the sentiments of philosopher and theologian Al-Ghāzālī (d. 505 AH/1111 CE) centers around the God-consciousness of Muraqabah: he stated that it is the obligation of the creation to be in constant awareness of its creator. Once one understands this, they must follow a level of etiquette and protocol which are but not limited to:

  • Having humility (ar. tawāḍuʾ) and modesty (ar. ḥayāʿ).
  • Staying silent and only speaking when appropriate, as it is mentioned in the narration, “the one who believes in Allah and the Last Day should only speak good or stay quiet”.[8]
  • Resolve to do the best that one can in every action.
  • Rush to do good deeds and avoiding sin.
  • To be content with what one must deal with daily (ar. al-raḍāʿ bi al-qaḍāʿ).[9]
  • Continuous reflection on one's internal state and the world around them.
  • Standing up for the truth.[10]

Practice

The physical practice of murāqabah is similar to standard meditation. Metaphysically speaking, the intended result of murāqabah is to refrain from any actions divorcing one from God,[11] and ultimately maintain one's mindfulness in a state that God is pleased by.[12] To progress in murāqabah one must be consistent for a lengthy period of time to experience the aforementioned benefits.[1]

Stages

According to the writings of the Azeemiyyah sufi order, which specializes in the history and practice of Muraqabah, the stages (Maqamat) of Muraqabah are divided into three sections.[13]

Irfan of Self

Ghanood

This refers to a sleeplike trance, which generally fades away quickly. With the passage of time, the person remains in this state between sleep and wakefulness for longer. The person eventually starts experiencing an increase in Dejavus, and gets more in touch with their awareness of the unconscious.

Idrak

Eventually when the trance decreases, the unconscious is said to become part of wakeful awareness, and the person can receive the spiritual knowledge from his unconscious, developing some form of unconscious cognition.

Wurud

When unconscious cognition deepens, it is entirely assimilated into the wakeful state. While the concentration of Muraqabah is sustained, the unconscious takes over, and one is said to start receiving visions. This is regarded as the first step removed from oneself.

Irfan of the Universe

Kashf

This stage is regarded as the first step towards detachment: one's self-awareness is annihilated into a newfound hidden awareness of the universe, which is not apparent via normal cognition.

Shuhud

Essentially described as an out-of-body experience, in which one can see, hear, smell and touch any particular place in the universe.

Fath

Retaining the state experienced during the out-of-body experience in everyday life, laid out as a kind of universal consciousness.

Irfan of Allah

Sair

In this stage, one starts to be guided by universal consciousness in ways that bring him closer to God, one's conscious will starts to become sublated.

Fanaa

Here one's own personhood becomes annihilated, the individual attains a completely monistic, undivided God-consciousness.

Baqaa

This stage is described as a subsistence of the annihilated state within one's personhood in day-to-day life.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Ashraf ʻAlī Thānvī (2010). A Sufi study of ḥadith. London: Turath Publishing. p. 41. ISBN 9781906949044. OCLC 809075744.
  2. ^ "The Cave: A Place for Solitude and Potential Transformation". Message International. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
  3. ^ Wehr, Hans. A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic (PDF) (in German).
  4. ^ al-Muṣṭafawī, Ḥasan (1995). Al-Taḥqīq fī Kalimāt al-Qurʾān al-Karīm (in Arabic). Vol. 4 (1st ed.). Tehran: Wizārah al-Thiqāfah wa al-ʿirshād al-ʿislāmī. pp. 200–204. ISBN 964-9965-05-X.
  5. ^ Muḥammad ʿibn Mukaram, ʿIbn al-Manẓūr (2010). Lisān al-ʾArab (in Arabic). Vol. 1. Beirut: Dār al-Ṣādir. pp. 424–428.
  6. ^ Al-Sayid al-Sharīf al-Jurjānī, ʾAli ibn Muḥammad (2012). Kitāb al-Taʾrīfāt (in Arabic) (3rd ed.). Beirut: Dār al-Nafāʾis. p. 293.
  7. ^ al-Qushayrī, ʿAbd al-karīm ibn Hawāzin (2014). Badyūwī, Yūsuf ʾAli (ed.). Al-Risālah al-Qushayrīyah (in Arabic) (1st ed.). Beirut: Dār al-Yamamah. pp. 293–297.
  8. ^ Al-Nawawī, ʿAbū Zakriyā Yaḥyā ibn Shraf (2010). Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn (in Arabic). Abdullah al-Turkī. p. 294.
  9. ^ al-Qushayrī, ʿAbd al-karīm ibn Hawāzin (2014). Badyūwī, Yūsuf ʾAli (ed.). Al-Risālah al-Qushayrīyah (in Arabic) (1st ed.). Beirut: Dār al-Yamamah. pp. 298–303.
  10. ^ al-Ghazālī, ʿAbū Ḥāmid (1993). ʾAzb, Muhammad (ed.). Bidāyah al-Hidāyah (in Arabic) (1st ed.). Cairo: Maktabah Madbūlī. pp. 63–64.
  11. ^ Akhtar, Muhammad (2017). Reformation of Character. Union City: Nur Publications. pp. 32–33. ISBN 978-0991482306.
  12. ^ al-Ghazali, Abu Hamid (2004). Bidayah al-Hidayah (in Arabic) (1st ed.). Beirut: Dar al-Minhaj. pp. 233–240.
  13. ^ Azeemi, Shamsuddin. "Muraqabah". www.scribd.com. Retrieved 2026-03-10.

Further reading

  • Akhtar, Muhammad (2017). Reformation of Character. Union City: Nur Publications. ISBN 0991482301.
  • 1058-1111., Ghazzālī, (2010). The beginning of guidance: the Imam and proof of Islam, complete Arabic text with facing English translation. Al-ʻAllāf, Mashhad., Ibn Yusuf, Abdur-Rahman, 1974- (2nd rev. ed.). London: White Thread Press. ISBN 9781933764061. OCLC 629700834.
  • Mim., Keller, Noah Ha. Sea without shore: a manual of the Sufi path. Beltsville, Md. ISBN 9781590080665. OCLC 704907779.
  • Khwaja Shamsuddin Azeemi (2005) Muraqaba: The Art and Science of Sufi Meditation. Houston: Plato, 2005, ISBN 0-9758875-4-8
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